System and Method of Contextual Adjustment of Video Fidelity to Protect Privacy

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus incorporating a security camera of a security system within a residence capturing a sequence of images of a secured area of the residence, a programmed processor of the security system determining that an authorized person is present within the residence, a programmed processor detecting a person within the sequence of images and a programmed processor blurring or reducing a picture quality of an area immediately around the detected person based upon the presence of the authorized person.

FIELD

This application relates to security systems and more particular to surveillance systems.

BACKGROUND

Systems are known to protect people and assets within secured areas. Such systems are typically based upon the use of one more sensors that detect threats within the secured area.

Threats to people and assets may originate from any of number of different sources. For example, a fire may kill or injure occupants who become trapped by a fire in a home. Similarly, carbon monoxide from a fire may kill people in their sleep.

Alternatively, an unauthorized intruder, such as a burglar may present a threat to assets within a secured area. Intruders have also been known to injure or kill people living within the area.

In the case of intruders, sensors may be placed and used in different areas based upon the different uses of the secured space. For example, if people are present within some portions of a normal day and not at other times, then some sensors may be placed along a periphery of the space to provide protection while the space is occupied while additional sensors may be placed and used within an interior of the space when the space is not occupied.

In most cases, threat detectors are connected to a local control panel. In the event of a threat detected via one of the sensors, the control panel may sound a local audible alarm. The control panel may also send a signal to a central monitoring station.

While surveillance systems work well, there are often concerns about privacy in the context of a home. This is especially true in the context where personnel at the central monitoring station may have access to video from the home. Accordingly, a need exists for better methods of protecting the privacy of occupants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system in accordance herewith.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While disclosed embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles thereof as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the application or claims to the specific embodiment illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a security system 10 shown generally in accordance with an illustrated embodiment. Included within the system is a number of sensors 12, 14 that detect threats within a secured geographic area 16. The sensors may be based upon any of a number of different types of technology. For example, some of the sensors may be limit switches placed on doors and/or windows providing entrance into and egress the secured area. Alternatively, the sensors may include one or more passive infrared (PIR) sensor used to detect intruders who have been able to circumvent the sensors on the doors and windows of the secured area.

The sensors may also include one or more environmental sensors. In this case, the sensors may include any of a number of smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.

Also included within the secured area may be one or more closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras 32, 34. The CCTV cameras may be provided with motion detection capability to detect intruders.

The sensors and cameras may be monitored by a control panel 18. Upon detection of a threat by one of the sensors or cameras, the control panel may compose an alarm message and send it to a central monitoring station 20. The message may include an identifier of the security system (e.g., address, account number, etc.), an identifier or location of the sensor or camera and a time. Where the detection of a threat originates from a camera, the message may also include one or more video images. The central monitoring station may respond by summoning the appropriate help (e.g., police, fire department, etc.).

Included within the control panel, the sensors and cameras may be one or more processor apparatus (processors) 22, 24, each operating under control of one or more computer programs 26, 28 loaded from a non-transitory computer readable medium (memory) 30. As used herein, reference to a step performed by a computer program is also reference to the processor that executed that step of the program.

The system may be controlled via a user interface 36. The user interface may include a keyboard 40 and a display 38. An authorized person (user) may enter a personal identification number (PIN) and the appropriate function key through the keyboard to arm the system. Similarly, the user may enter his/her PIN and a disarm or armed stay instruction to enter the disarmed or armed stay state of operation of the system. The display may display confirmation of each entered instruction.

While in the armed state, a sequence of video frames from each of the cameras may be saved into a corresponding video file 48, 50. The video may be saved continuously or only upon detection of some predefined event by the security system.

The authorized user may review recorded video by entering a camera identifier and time through the user interface. In response, video from the selected camera and time may be retrieved from the corresponding file and played on the display of the user interface. The user may also view real-time video through the user interface by entering a camera identifier and a real-time monitoring instruction. Where the cameras have pan, tilt and zoom, the user may adjust the camera parameters to have a better real-time view of remote areas of the home.

The system may also include a control link 46 to a portable wireless device 42 of the authorized user through the Internet 44. The connection may be established through the central monitoring station or directly with the control panel. An application executing on a processor within the portable wireless device allows the user to interact with the security system in the same manner as the user would through the user interface.

The authorized user may arm or disarm the system remotely through the portable wireless device or locally through the user interface. In the armed away or armed stay states, an alarm processor within the panel monitors the secured area via the cameras and/or sensors for threats. Upon detection of a threat, the alarm processor may sound a local alarm and send notification of the detected threat to the central monitoring station and to the portable wireless device.

A monitoring processor within the control panel may also send notifications to the portable user device upon the occurrence of certain events. For example, a parent may want to be notified when his/her children return home from school. In this case, a child before or upon entering the secured area (i.e., their home) may enter his/her PIN to temporarily disarm the security system. The parent may create a program that causes the monitoring processor to notify the parent whenever the child's PIN number is entered through the local user interface.

During normal operation, the authorized user may also view video in real-time from the cameras through the portable user device. The user may do this to confirm that their child returned safely after school or to ensure that the child didn't bring friends home after school.

In general, authorized residential users (e.g., household members) have potentially conflicting needs. They may want to have video streaming from the cameras within the secured area to portable devices for real-time viewing (and also to record video to the corresponding file) in order to ensure proper surveillance, breach alerts in the event of an intruder, better contact with loved ones and occasional entertainment (e.g., observing pets from remote locations).

On the other hand, authorized residential users (e.g., children or guests) may not want to lose their privacy (e.g., by being watched and recorded via the security system by other family members). In this regard, parents would want to ensure a harmonious relationship with their children. They would not want their children to despise them for covertly monitoring their children's activities or otherwise invading their privacy.

These problems may be exacerbated where images from the camera are occasionally available to security personnel at the central monitoring station. In this case, parents (and children) may be concerned that video data showing their private lives will be used in an unauthorized manner.

These concerns are addressed via one or more processors of the control panel and/or camera that dynamically adjust the amount/fidelity of video data collected from certain areas of the field of view (FOV) of each camera. This adjustment of the fidelity of at least some images is based upon input from the FOV of the camera and/or real-time software analysis of the camera input and other sources, such as the geofence location of at least some users. In this regard, one or more privacy processors provide full video data detail or reduced video data detail to authorized viewers, depending on an automatic assessment of the “social context” of the situation.

The privacy processors may include a first identification processor executing analytics software that identifies moving objects as human or nonhuman. This may be accomplished via the height of the moving object, by the height to width ratio of the moving object or its appendages or by any of a number of other methodologies.

The privacy processors may also include one or more face recognition processors that first identify an outline of a moving human and then the outline of its face. In this case, the face recognition processor(s) may determine certain features of a detected face and then match those determined characteristics to corresponding authorized user by matching the characteristics to the contents of a corresponding facial characteristics file 52, 54 of the authorized user.

Under one illustrated embodiment, the fidelity of human images is adjusted based upon the simple presence of a predefined responsible person (e.g., the parent) within the secured area. Under this embodiment, so long as the home is empty according to geofence input (i.e., no authorized users are at home), then the cameras provide full unrestricted streaming, and will record any motion event with full fidelity (even when the security system is disarmed). Thus the privacy processors will allow the cameras to record pets, intruders, maintenance personnel, nannies, babies, etc.).

As soon as the first registered (predefined) user returns home, the privacy processors adjust the recording fidelity based upon the presence of the person. In this regard, the presence of the person may be detected via a PIN number entered through the user interface or via a transmission from the portable user device. In this case, once the user enters the home, a presence processor detects the user's presence and a fidelity processor decreases video/picture fidelity of the FOV in the local area where a person (identified by the video analytics software as an adult or adolescent) is located. This means that the processor of the camera or control panel blurs the outline of the person in real time, but doesn't blur the rest of the scene of the FOV. This is achieved by locally introducing either a lower resolution around the authorized user or by masking the inside of the outline of the person. In this way, all incidences of motion/presence of people are still recorded and communicated, but privacy is protected.

Under a second illustrated embodiment, blurring or masking is based upon face recognition. In this way, the privacy of all authorized users is protected even if they did not each enter their respective PI Ns when entering the home.

This second illustrated embodiment operates similarly to the first embodiment and, in fact, may be used in conjunction with the first embodiment. Under the second embodiment, instead of simply recognizing the presence of an adult/adolescent, a face recognition processor identifies familiar (registered) faces based upon a corresponding file of the familiar face and uses this recognition to locally (and in real-time) decrease resolution or introduce masking of the face or of the whole body. Faces that are different and that cannot be recognized are detected by a face exception processor based upon a time limit for recognition. A record of non-recognized faces may be saved based upon time for later reference if a need later arises. Since this second embodiment protects all registered household faces, this embodiment doesn't need geofence input in order to operate properly. It also provides a better method for monitoring non-registered adults/adolescents in the context where at least one household member is at home.

In another embodiment, the system is embodied as a stand-alone wireless camera wirelessly linked to a smartphone. Under this embodiment, the system has no sensors, alarms, etc. and is accessed and controlled by authorized persons (e.g., family members) via a smart phone application.

In general, the system incorporates the steps of a security camera of a security system within a residence capturing a sequence of images of a secured area of the residence, a programmed processor of the security system determining that an authorized person is present within the residence, a programmed processor detecting a person within the sequence of images and a programmed processor blurring or reducing a picture quality of the detected person based upon the presence of the authorized person.

Alternatively, the system includes a security system that protects a secured area within a residence, a security camera of the security system, a programmed processor of the security system that determines that an authorized person is present within the residence, a programmed processor that captures a sequence of images of a secured area of the residence, a programmed processor that detects a person within the sequence of images and a programmed processor that blurs or reduces a picture quality of the detected person based upon the presence of the authorized person.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope hereof. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims. Further, logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be add to, or removed from the described embodiments. 

1. A method comprising: a security camera within a residence capturing a sequence of images of a secured area of the residence; a programmed processor of the security camera determining that an authorized person is present within the residence; a programmed processor detecting a person within the sequence of images; and a programmed processor blurring or reducing a picture quality of the detected person based upon the presence of the authorized person within the residence.
 2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step of determining that the authorized person is present within the residence further comprises detecting entry of a personal identification number (PIN) at an entry point of the residence.
 3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step of determining that the authorized person is present within the residence further comprises detecting the authorized person within the sequence of images.
 4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising identifying a human face within an image of the sequence of images and comparing the identified face with a reference image of the authorized person.
 5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising determining that the detected person is different than the authorized person.
 6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising capturing and saving a detailed image of the detected person.
 7. An apparatus comprising: a security camera of a security system within a residence that captures a sequence of images of a secured geographic area of the residence; a programmed processor of the security system that determines that an authorized person is present within the residence; a programmed processor that detects a person within the sequence of images; and a programmed processor that blurs or reduces a picture quality of the detected person within the sequence of images based upon the presence of the authorized person.
 8. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the determination that the authorized person is present within the residence further comprises a user interface that detects entry of a personal identification number (PIN) at an entry point of the residence.
 9. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the determination that the authorized person is present within the residence further comprises a processor detecting the authorized person within the sequence of images.
 10. The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the processor further comprises a face recognition processor identifying a human face within an image of the sequence of images and comparing the identified face with a reference image of the authorized person.
 11. The apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising a processor that determines that the detected person is different than the authorized person.
 12. The apparatus as in claim 11 further comprising a processor that captures and saves a detailed image of the detected person.
 13. An apparatus comprising: a security system that protects a secured area within a residence; a security camera of the security system; a programmed processor of the security system that determines that an authorized person is present within the residence; a programmed processor that captures a sequence of images of a secured area of the residence; a programmed processor that detects a person within the sequence of images; and a programmed processor that blurs or reduces a picture quality of the detected person within a field of view of the sequence of images based upon the presence of the authorized person within the residence.
 14. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the detected person further comprises a processor that detects a plurality of persons.
 15. The apparatus as in claim 14 further comprising a programmed processor that blurs or reduces the picture quality of each of the plurality of persons.
 16. The apparatus as in claim 14 further comprising a programmed processor that blurs or reduces the picture quality of only predefined persons of the plurality of persons.
 17. The apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising a user interface that detects entry of a personal identification number (PIN) at an entry point of the residence.
 18. The apparatus as in claim 14 further comprising a face recognition processor that detects the authorized person within the sequence of images.
 19. The apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising a facial characteristics file used by the face recognition processor identify the authorized person.
 20. The apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising a file within a memory that saves the sequence of images. 